Word of Mouth: A New Introduction to Language and Communication - Hardcover

Finch, Geoffrey

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0333914538 ISBN 13: 9780333914533

Publisher: Palgrave, 2002

Synopsis

A popular introduction to language and communication written for those with a general or academic interest in the field. Geoffrey Finch introduces readers to current debates about the evolution, structure, psychology and function of language in a lively, accessible and jargon-free way. The book focuses on various issues and topics in the study of language, such as communication, media, structure and society, rather than on linguistic concepts per se, and assumes no prior knowledge of language study.

About this title

About the Author

GEOFF FINCH has taught English at universities in New Zealand and Nigeria and is Senior Lecturer in Humanities at Anglia Polytechnic University, where he lectures and writes on both language and literature. He is the author of How to Study Linguistics and Linguistic Terms and Concepts, both of which are in Palgrave Macmillan's How to Study series.

From the Back Cover

The study of language has changed enormously over the past two decades. Many of the ideas which have become current in the twenty-first century challenge our notions about who we are and to what extent we are unique in nature.

Word of Mouth introduces these ideas to the reader in a fresh, engaging and jargon-free way. It assumes no prior knowledge of language study, just an interest in the power of words and the way they shape and influence our lives. Geoffrey Finch begins with a discussion of the evolution of language, suggesting that the acquisition of language was a cognitive leap forward with significant repercussions for what we understand by the term 'human nature'. Subsequent chapters explore the social and communicative functions of language, its structure and psychology, as well as the impact of electronic media on contemporary usage.

Ideal for the general reader and students of language and communication, Word of Mouth is a stimulating introductory guide to a fascinating subject.

Edition details

• Publisher: Palgrave
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0333914538
• ISBN 13: 9780333914533
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 228